In 2013, Vietnam mourned the passing of Vo Nguyen Giap.
A man considered one of history’s greatest military strategists, Giap is a revered figure in the country’s history.
His exploits as an officer during First Indochina War against the French and later against the Americans in the Vietnam War earned him a place in the country’s history.
In 1968, Giap is said to have devised the Tet Offensive – a series of surprise attacks on American positions by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese military.
But it was later claimed in official documents that he had opposed the offensive.
Nonetheless, the Tet Offensive is considered one of the key events that led American public opinion to turn against the war.
After his military career, Giap reached the position of deputy prime minister.
Source: The Independent